Blush & Contour with Nars Matte Multiple in Altai

A few weeks ago, I ordered one of the newly released Nars Matte Multiples. As you probably know, I love cream products but have fallen out of love with Nars Multiples over the years because of the shimmer.

I picked up the shade Altai, which is described by Sephora as a "rose gold" and thought perhaps it could be appropriate for contour as well.

Overall, I enjoy this product. It is not as creamy and blendable as the original Multiple formula, but I wouldn't say that it is hard to blend either. I just have to take a second and make sure I've properly blended it in.

On me, the shade creates the right amount of shadow under my cheekbone and brings a nice warmth to the rest of my face. I can't imagine it would do the same for those who are extremely pale, though Jessica over at Beautezine does manage to pull it off. 

I have no complaints about wear either - it seems to last all day on me. I am a bit disappointed that Nars made these much smaller quantity wise than the original, but that doesn't bother me much either. I don't think I would purchase another shade since I have a healthy stash of cream blushes at the moment, but I'm definitely keeping my eye out for any future shades that are unique.  

What do you think about the Nars Matte Multiple? Have you tried them yet? :) 

February Favorites ♡

I originally planned to make a video about my February favorites, but it just hasn't worked out for me! Something about winter has made me totally incapable of getting things done, not to mention the lighting and setup issues... 

Anyway, on to my favorite products so far this year! 

Goldfaden MD Hands to Heart
I'm a girl that needs hand cream year round, and I've seriously fallen for Hands to Heart. It seriously is so good - it has a light citrus fragrance, doesn't feel greasy, and moisturizes well. I've had many coworkers (including guys!) enjoy this hand cream. Check out my original review here.

African Botanics Pure Marula Oil
Have I talked about this enough? Probably. I love this oil - so hydrating, and absorbs in so nicely. More on this in the review, if you haven't already heard enough about it! ;)

Boscia Tsubaki Deep Hydration Mask
Hydration masks are necessary for winter, and I'm enjoying this relatively affordable option. I've talked about this mask before as well, so for more information, do check out my original review here. 

Coconut Oil
I really wish my aversion to coconuts in general hadn't prevented me from trying coconut oil. Seriously, it is so good for hydrating and soothing the body. Mr. Bunny is a huge fan, and I've been mixing this in with other skincare or using this on my body after baths. Pretty hydrating, and for whatever reason the scent makes me think of popcorn! 

Burberry Eyeshadow in Dark Sable
I seriously love Burberry eyeshadow and I never seem to rememeber to use them. Dark Sable is the perfect eyeliner shade and such a nice shade to naturally smoke out any look. And seriously, I spotted this on myself in one of my own videos and loved how it looked. I'm such a loser, ha! 

Bite Beauty Custom Lipstick
Early on in February, I visited the Bite Beauty Lip Lab in NYC and created my own custom lipstick! Check out that post here. I've seriously been loving the color and the formula - it is so pretty and creamy and feels great on the lips.

Balenciaga Rosabotanica
I'm picky about fragrances but something about Rosabotanica is the perfect blend of fresh rose and spiciness. I am seriously loving this scent and think I'll be needing a full size once I finish up this cute little deluxe sample! 

What products have been your favorites so far this year? Is the winter tiring you out too, or are you lucky to live somewhere warm right now? I'd love to know!

February Recap

This month totally flew by - with a too short trip to NYC at the beginning of the month, and general exhaustion and despair over winter for the rest of the month... 

I also started taking a figure skating class to get some exercise, and I'm super excited to pick it up again. (I skated as a kid but wouldn't say I was all that great at it!) 

Here's a peek at some of my Instagram snaps over the last few weeks. If you're not following me already, do visit and say hello! :) 

Posts This Month: February Empties // Makeup On The Go // Love/Hate: Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask // Goldfaden MD Hands to Heart // Overnight Hydration Masks // Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes // Tatcha Gold Camellia Lip Balm // Lush Lots of Love // Products That Didn't Work for Me // Instead of Roses // Bite Beauty Lip Lab // NYC Beauty Purchases // Perfect Palette Tag

Products I Loved: I rediscovered my Burberry Dark Sable eyeshadow. I just love that shade as liner or for a bit of natural smokiness on my lids. Yay Burberry! On the perfume front, I'm still loving Balenciaga Rosabotanica, a new and slightly spicy yet fresh floral scent. I'll be sharing the rest of my February favorites in the next few days!

Product Disappointments: No disappointments this month, but I'm still haven't made my decision about Smashbox Always Sharp 3D Liner and Nars Matte Multiple. Have you tried them? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Beauty Purchases: Aside from my purchases in NYC, some fake lashes from Ulta, and a few small items from Sephora (UD Grindhouse, Bite Neutral Lip Duo, Beautyblender Solid Cleanser, Sephora Eyebrow Stencils and the previously mentioned Nars and Smashbox) I did very little shopping in February. I did pick up my first Mac Paint Pot in Tailor Grey that I have yet to try. 

Added to the Wishlist: There's always a million and a half things that end up on my wishlist, but I'm definitely eyeing some Tom Ford (still) and the new shades of Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eyeshadow... 

What's been on your radar this month? Are you surviving this cold winter?? :)

February Empties!

I'm hoping to keep the streak going and finish more stuff every month this year! (See January's empties post here, in case you missed it!) 

*PR Sample

This month, I got through a lot of deluxe samples - I liked the Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil, but I prefer Tatcha's by a hair. The Josie Maran Argan Oil was just ok, and while I liked Living Proof Full Shampoo, it didn't wow me. I used up another Lush Ceridwen's Cauldron Bath Melt* and really revived my love for the volumizing Lush Roots Hair Treatment*. Aveda Stress Fix Body Lotion had a nice and calming scent, and while I always like Philosophy shower gels, I don't plan to purchase these.

I prefer Shiseido over the Koh Gen Do Pure Cottons as they are much cushier, and while I enjoyed my little sample of Chantecaille Vital Essence, I'm too scared to think about the price and buying a full size one! I have the same thoughts towards my samples of Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Treatment and Omorovicza Gentle Buffing Cleanser - quite nice, but not for me to purchase until I use up more! Oh, the little jar of Sai Sei body wash was nice too - I loved how it didn't leave any lingering scents and made me really just smell like me. 

Oh, and as I was using the Eve Lom Cleanser sample, I was shocked to note that this seriously pricey cleanser has mineral oil, lanolin, and parabens. That seems like a whole lot of potentially unfriendly ingredients for a cleanser that retails at $50 for 1.7oz! 

I finally made it through the last bits of my much loved Diptyque Rose Duet candle, and I'm thrilled to be able to reuse this lovely jar somewhere around the house. My visit to NYC early in the month also gave me the chance to try some Molton Brown! I ended up using up a shampoo as well as the Ylang Ylang body wash and body lotion. I loved some of their other scents I've encountered, so I may look into those sometime. I also tried a sample of Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser, which is a nice gel cleanser that gets your face feeling clean but not at all stripped or dry. 

And last but not least, I ended up clearing out a few items I had just let get too too old. Sad. Nothing much to say about them except why why why did I let my tub of Lush Ocean Salt* get water in it and get all weird? I definitely need more of that! 

All in all, I'd say this was a pretty successful month of empties! What do you think? What have you been finishing this month? I'd love to know!